Wrist bowling game



Feb. 4, 1964 w. G. FLETCHER 3,120,390

WRIST BOWLING GAME Filed 001:. 4, 1961 III-IIIIII n QJIJIIJIJIInH INVENT OR WILL/AM 6. FLETCHER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,120,390 WRIST BOWLING GAME William G. Fletcher, 218 Linwood Ave., Bogota, NJ. Filed Oct. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 142,970 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-121) This invention relates in general to toys and in particular to a new and useful toy game adapted to be secured to a wrist encircling band and having manipulatable means for effecting the bowling of a ball between spaced peg members which are advantageously made magnetically attractable in respect to the ball.

The present invention is an improvement in game construction, particularly in respect to the provision of a device which permits the controlled bowling of a ball between peg members, all arranged Within a housing member which may be pivotally supported on a wrist band and worn by the player. A feature of the invention is the construction of a mechanism for effecting the movement of the ball between the spaced pegs which includes a shiftable rod member having an upstanding portion which extends through a slot in a game board. The ball to be bowled is placed in the slot and guided therealong for a short distance. However, it is possible to shift the propelling member which may be manipulat ed from either side of the game board so that the ball may be guided in its trajectory along the game board. The device advantageously includes spaced pin members, for example, to provide a target area for the propelling of the ball therebetween. Of course, pins, slots, scoring areas, etc. may be defined on the game board floor or the walls for the purpose of scoring, if so desired.

A feature of the invention is an embodiment which includes spaced pin members providing a scoring area therebetween into which it is an object of the game to propel the ball. To add to the playing value, one or both of the peg members or the ball may be made of magnetic material or magnetically attractable material so that the ball will either be attracted to or repelled from the pegs as it approaches the magnetic sphere of influence after it is sent off by the propelling mechanism. A further feature is the provision of a guiding alley arranged at the termination of the scoring area provided to deflect the ball around and return it back through a downwardly inclined gutter for reuse. For this purpose, the game board or playing surface is advantageously made inclined so that shooting or propelling of the ball is made uphill and the return through the alley-way is down back to the guide slot.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved toy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy game having means for propelling a bowling ball including a shiftable propelling lever which is connected to a rotatable member which extends laterally from the game area.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bowling game having a guide slot for receiving a ball and a device for propelling the ball including a crank shaft having a crank propelling arm thereon, the crank shaft adapted to extend laterally from the game area and being provided with a knob means for rotation by the fingers of the hand, and further including spaced peg members between which the ball may be projected for scoring purposes, one or more of the peg members advantageously being magnetically attractable to the ball which is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bowling game which is adapted to be pivotally connected to a wrist band for wear on the wrist of a child.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

3,120,390 Patented Feb. 4, 1964;

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a wrist game constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein includes a wrist game generally designated 10 which is pivotally mounted on a wrist band 12 which is adapted to be worn on the wrist of a wearer. In the embodiment indicated, the game includes a rec tanguiar housing generally designated 14 which is pivotally mounted by means of a rivet 16 to the wrist band 12.

The housing 14 includes a lower casing section 18 and a transparent cover member 20 which is hinged as at 22 thereto and which is provided with a latch 24 for locking the cover in position.

The interior of the housing is provided with a ledge upon which is supported a game board or playing area member 26. The game board 26 is advantageously arranged on an incline with the highest portion being located in the vicinity of the end adjacent two upstanding spaced scoring pegs or members 28 and 30 which are supported on the game board.

In accordance with the invention, the game board has an elongated slot 32 defined thereon at a location removed from the pegs 28 and 30. The slot includes a narrow section portion 321: and a widened portoin 32b through which a propelling crank member 34 projects. A bowling ball 36 is placed on the slot 32 and its curvature is such that it rests in position thereon adjacent the propelling member 34.

The propelling member 34 is secured to a crank shaft 38 which extends laterally outwardly to each side of the game and terminates in knobs 40 and 42. The crank shaft 38 is freely movable in supporting openings 44 defined in the side walls of the casing 18, permitting the crank shaft 38 to be axially shifted from side to side in order to change the centering of the projecting crank arm member 34.

When the game is to be played, an operator grasps one of the knobs 40 or 42 and positions the projecting crank arm member 34 in a desired position behind the ball 36. Thereupon, the knob 40 is twirled to move the projecting crank arm member 34 against the ball and propel it along the game board for scoring purposes. The direction of the movement of the ball is controlled in accordance with the positioning of the crank arm member 34.

As an added feature, one or more of the posts 28- and 30, or the ball 36, are made intermagnetically attractable. Thus, it becomes a matter of skill to project the ball with sufficient force and accuracy to effect scoring by causing the ball to pass between the posts 28 and 30 and enter a return alley 46 which is defined along one side of the game board. The return alley advantageously slopes downwardly from the pick-up location 46a immediately behind the posts 28 and 30 to the slot 32 into which the ball is returned.

Thus, a child may wear the game on his wrist and when it is desired to play with an adversary, he may pivot the housing 14 to align the game in any desired orientation. The cover may be removed for the purpose of placing the ball in the slot 32 and thereafter replaced to play the game. Bowling is accomplished by aligning the projecting crank arm 34 behind the bowling ball 36 and propelling the ball between the pegs 28 and 30.

In some instances, it may be desirable to effect scoring in other manners than propelling the ball between the pegs, such as for example, requiring that the ball be propelled into a pocket defined along the walls of the game board, or a recess defined in the game board itself.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A wrist game comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a wrist band, a game board in said housing located at a spaced relationship from a bottom wall thereof, a crank shaft rotatably supported in said housing and extending laterally across a substantial portion thereof, a slot defined in said game board, a projecting crank member connected to said crank shaft and extending into said slot, said slot being wide enough to support a ball thereon for projection by said projecting arm member, and knob means on said crank shaft extending outwardly from said housing permitting said shaft to be shifted axially and rotated to move said projecting arm member and cause projection of the ball.

2. A game according to claim 1 including spaced peg members defined on said game board at a spaced location from said slot to define a scoring area between which the ball may be projected.

3. A game according to claim 1, including a scoring area defined in said housing.

4. A game according to claim 1, including a return chute extending from said scoring area on an incline back to said slot to return said ball to said slot.

5. A game according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said peg members and said ball is magnetically attractable.

6. A wrist game comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a wrist band, a game board in said housing located at a spaced relationship from a bottom wall thereof, a crank shaft rotatably supported in said housing and extending laterally through said housing from side to side thereof, a slot defined in said game board, a projecting crank member connected to said crank shaft and extending into said slot, said slot being wide enough to support a ball thereon for projection by said projecting crank member, and knob means on each end of said crank shaft permitting said shaft to be shifted axially and to be rotated to move said projecting arm member to cause projection of the ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,060 Shyvers Nov. 8, 1938 2,258,329 MacDougall et a1. Oct. 7, 1941 2,364,814 Plummet et al Dec. 12, 1944 3,041,073 Maraud June 26, 1962 

1. A WRIST GAME COMPRISING A HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A WRIST BAND, A GAME BOARD IN SAID HOUSING LOCATED AT A SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM A BOTTOM WALL THEREOF, A CRANK SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THEREOF, A SLOT DEFINED IN SAID GAME BOARD, A PROJECTING CRANK MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID CRANK SHAFT AND EXTENDING INTO SAID SLOT, SAID SLOT BEING WIDE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A BALL THEREON FOR PROJECTION BY SAID PROJECTING ARM MEMBER, AND KNOB MEANS ON SAID CRANK SHAFT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOUSING PERMITTING SAID SHAFT TO BE SHIFTED AXIALLY AND ROTATED TO MOVE SAID PROJECTING ARM MEMBER AND CAUSE PROJECTION OF THE BALL. 